Candidates for state Senate in District 32 are accusing each other of not living within the district, a legally moot point as Maryland law has strict election law requirements to challenge residency.

A campaign flier recently released for Republican John Grasso claims Democratic opponent Del. Pam Beidle does not live within the district, which includes parts of Glen Burnie, Linthicum and several west county communities.

Beidle denies the accusation and counters it is actually Grasso who isn’t being open about his home. The county councilman lists several addresses on election paperwork and has declined to clarify which address is his primary residence.

Both are running for an open seat seen as a crucial win for Republicans hoping to limit Democratic control over the Senate.

Beidle said she has lived at her home in Linthicum for 41 years. She also owns a house in the River Run golf community near Ocean City, but said she visits it sparingly. Beidle, who served two terms on the County Council before being elected to the House of Delegates in 2006, lists her address on her voter registration form as Fairmount Road.

Grasso and his campaign have listed three addresses on various documents.

Senate candidates have to be a district resident for six months. Maryland election law lists voter registration as the qualifying standard for residency. But anyone wanting to challenge that residency better be paying attention, as the deadline to do so is nine days after the candidates’ filing deadline.

Grasso’s campaign filings list his Leymar Drive home in Glen Burnie as his address, the same address he used during his two County Council terms representing District 2. That is outside District 32.

That address is not listed as his primary residence in Maryland’s property records. Beidle’s Fairmount Road home is listed as her primary residence.

In his initial filing, Grasso listed 7840 Oakwood Road in Glen Burnie as his residence. That address was posted online alongside his candidacy information.

The Oakwood address is in both state legislative District 32 and County Council District 2. But Grasso told the newspaper in June he didn’t live at that address anymore. When asked about his new address, Grasso told the newspaper and anyone else to challenge it.

His voter registration lists an apartment on Glen Ridge Road in Glen Burnie.

When asked about his current address last month, Grasso responded with a short text message.

“This is in correct (sic), I live in Glen Ridge,” Grasso wrote. “This is just another attempt of more election nonsense.”

Living at the Glen Ridge Road residency poses a different problem for Grasso: It wasn’t located within the council district he served. Grasso was elected to District 2, but the address listed on his voter registration is listed under council District 1.

The County Charter states a council member must live in his or her district “for six months immediately prior thereto and during his full term of office ...”

Challenging a candidate’s address is difficult and requires specific timing. There is a nine-day window after the filing deadline that residency can be challenged. That petition has to be filed in Circuit Court, according to Maryland election law.

Anyone who wishes to file the petition also has to live within the district or geographic area in which the candidate is running.

A resident filed a complaint on Oct. 7 about Grasso’s residency, but they did not follow the proper procedure. The complaint was filed with the Board of Elections after the deadline.

Beidle said she had nothing to do with the complaint. The person who filed the complaint has no listed campaign contributions. He could not be reached.

The complaint points to Grasso’s use of his Leymar Drive address in a variety of places. That address is listed on Grasso’s committee forms. It is also listed alongside the candidate loans that Grasso reported in his most recent campaign finance filing. Those loans were dated Aug. 13.

Grasso has three Facebook pages. One is listed as a councilman page, the other a Senate candidate page and another lists neither title. The councilman pages list the Leymar Drive address.

Originally Grasso planned to run for county executive after complaining about County Executive Steve Schuh’s leadership on development and other issues. But Grasso said the two had a conversation and Schuh dealt with Grasso’s concerns, prompting him to run for the Senate District 32 seat.

The day before Grasso announced his Senate run, Schuh’s campaign transferred $6,000 to Grasso’s campaign fund. Schuh’s campaign told The Capital the money was transferred because Schuh believed Grasso to be the right choice for District 32.

Key School, an exclusive private school in Annapolis, is at the center of a newly released report that details a history of alleged sexual abuse that went unchecked between the 1970s and early 1990s. The report concluded 10 adults in authority positions engaged in sexual misconduct or inappropriate relationships with at least 16 former students.

Key School, an exclusive private school in Annapolis, is at the center of a newly released report that details a history of alleged sexual abuse that went unchecked between the 1970s and early 1990s. The report concluded 10 adults in authority positions engaged in sexual misconduct or inappropriate relationships with at least 16 former students.

Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action on Gun Violence held a joint press conference at the Maryland House of Delegates Office Building with delegates, survivors and activists to promote gun control legislation this session.

Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action on Gun Violence held a joint press conference at the Maryland House of Delegates Office Building with delegates, survivors and activists to promote gun control legislation this session.